“Child marriage directly affects approximately 14 million girls a year. It legitimizes human rights violations and the abuse of girls under the guise of culture, honor, tradition, and religion. It is part of a sequence of discrimination that begins at a girl’s birth and continues throughout her entire life. Furthermore, when a child bride gives birth, the vicious cycle of poverty, poor health, curtailed education, violence, instability, disregard for rule of law and legal and other discrimination often continues into the next generation, especially for any daughters she may have,” said Jacqui Hunt, London Director, Equality Now

Ending child marriage internationally should be a global priority and included within the post-2015 development framework. At the national level, a comprehensive, joined-up approach is essential, which links the justice sector with healthcare, education, community and other leaders. Such an initiative should tackle child marriage not as a single abuse, but rather related to other manifestations of discrimination and violence against women and girls.

Without such structural frameworks in place, which recognize child marriage as part of a harmful cycle of abuse, girls will remain vulnerable not only to being married off at a young age, but to a lifetime of abuse.